Age of Reason

Chapters

  • Chapter 21, Lesson 1:  The Scientific Revolution

  • Chapter 21, Lesson 2:  The Ideas of the Enlightenment

  • Chapter 21, Lesson 3:  Enlightened Absolutism and the Balance of Power

The Scientific Revolution

Significant Scientific Breakthroughs

Questioning Everything: Educated Europeans begin questioning the world around them

Heliocentric Model: Copernicus discovered that the universe was heliocentric rather than geocentric

Planetary Motion: Kepler used math and astronomy to determine the laws of planetary motion

Study of Planets: Galileo used telescope to study the planets, observed moons and mountains

Laws of Motion: Newton defined the three laws of motion, including that of gravity

Chemistry: became more prominent as Boyle conducted experiments

Rationalism: Descartes applied philosophy to science, considered “father of rationalism”

Scientific Method: created by Bacon, promoted using Inductive Reasoning

The Ideas of the Enlightenment

The Ideas of Philosophers

Enlightenment: philosophical movement of intellectuals

  • sparked by the Scientific Revolution

  • influenced primarily by Locke and Newton

  • wanted to discover the natural laws that governed society

  • Locke influenced Britain to develop constitutional monarchy

Philosophy: Enlightenment intellectuals (philosophes) believed the role of philosophy was to change the world through reason + rational criticism

Philosophes

Montesquieu: created the checks and balances system

  • influenced the US government

  • reasoned that the government should have separation of powers

Voltaire: known for his criticism of the Catholic Church

  • championed deism + religious tolerance

  • influential on revolutions

Diderot: wrote the first set of Encyclopedia

  • attacked religious superstition and intolerance

  • writings helped to spread the Enlightenment

Social Sciences and the Spread of Ideas

Wealth of Nations: written by Adam Smith

  • about the enterprise system

  • believed that government should stay out of the economy (laissez-faire)

The Social Contract: written by Rousseau, believed society functioned for the good of the whole

→ Wollstonecraft pushed for women’s rights

→ Enlightened ideas spread through salons where debates over philosophy took place

→ Enlightenment was also seen through the arts in rococo designs

Enlightened Absolutism

→ enlightened ideas influenced politics

→ beliefs in natural rights for people: equality before the law, freedom of religion + speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble/hold property/pursue happiness

→ Enlightened rulers were required to allow natural rights, support art/science education, and obey and enforce the law fairly

Seven Years’ War

  • monarchs were not very successful in integrating Enlightenment ideals for fear of upsetting the nobility classes

    • concerned abut the balance of power

  • fighting over the succession to the Austrian throne triggered the Seven Years’ War

  • war broke out in Europe, Asia, and North America